Beside vs. Besides: Position or Addition?

The Simple Rule

• Beside = next to, at the side of (position)
• Besides = in addition to, moreover (addition)

Using Beside

“Beside” refers to physical position or location:

• “Come sit beside me.” ✓
• “The lamp is beside the bed.” ✓
• “She stood beside him at the ceremony.” ✓

Also used in the phrase “beside the point” (meaning irrelevant):

• “That’s beside the point.” ✓

And “beside oneself” (meaning extremely emotional):

• “He was beside himself with worry.” ✓

Using Besides

“Besides” means “in addition to” or “apart from”:

• “Besides the salary, the benefits are excellent.” ✓
• “Who else is coming besides Sarah?” ✓
• “I don’t want to go. Besides, I’m too tired.” ✓

Memory Trick

• Beside = by your side (position)
• Besides = the “s” adds something extra (addition)

Quick Check

• Talking about location or position? → beside
• Talking about adding something or “in addition”? → besides